Small Canon Search™

385. THE CONJUNCTION OF CONJUGIAL LOVE WITH THE LOVE OF INFANTS There are indications which show clearly that conjugial love and the love of infants, which is called storge, are conjoined. There are also indications which can induce the belief that they are not conjoined; for there is love of infants with partners who love each other from their heart, and with partners who are discordant in heart, and even with those who are separated; and sometimes it is more tender and strong with the latter than with the former. That the love of infants is nevertheless perpetually conjoined with conjugial love, may be evident from the origin whence it flows; and although this origin varies with the recipients, the loves yet remain inseparable, just as the first end remains in the ultimate end which is the effect. The first end of conjugial love is the procreation of offspring, and the ultimate end, which is the effect, is the offspring procreated. That the first end enters into the effect and is present therein as in its beginning and that it does not withdraw therefrom, can be seen from a rational contemplation of the progression of ends and causes in their due order to effects. But the reasonings of most men, instead of commencing from causes and from these proceeding analytically to effects, etc., commence from effects and from these go on to certain conclusions. Thus the rational things of light must needs become the obscurities of a cloud, whence spring deviations from truths arising from appearances and fallacies. That it may be seen that conjugial love and the love of infants are inwardly conjoined even though outwardly disjoined, it shall be demonstrated in the following order: I. That from the Lord proceed two universal spheres for the preservation of the universe in the state created, of which the one is the sphere of procreating, and the other the sphere of protecting the things procreated. II. That these two universal spheres make one with the sphere of conjugial love and the sphere of the love of infants. III. That these two spheres flow, universally and singly, into all things of heaven and all things of the world, from the first of them to the last. IV. That the sphere of the love of infants is a sphere of protection and support of those who cannot protect and support themselves. V. That this sphere affects both the evil and the good, and disposes every one to love, protect, and support his offspring from his own love. VI. That this sphere affects the female sex, thus mothers, principally, and the male sex, or fathers, from them. VII. That this sphere is also a sphere of innocence and peace from the Lord. VIII. That a sphere of innocence Rows into infants, and through them into their parents, and affects them. IX. That it flows also into the souls of parents and conjoins itself with the same sphere with infants; and that it is insinuated more especially by touch. X. That in the degree that innocence recedes with infants, affection and conjunction also abate, and this successively even to separation. XI. That with parents there is a rational state of innocence and peace in respect to their infants, in that the latter know nothing and can do nothing from themselves but from others, especially their father and mother; and that this state also successively recedes as they acquire knowledge and are able to act from themselves and not from their parents. XII. That this sphere progresses in order, from an end through causes into effects, and makes periods whereby creation is preserved in the state foreseen and provided. XIII. That the love of infants descends and does not ascend. XIV. That wives have one state of love before conception, and another after it up to the birth. XV. That with parents, conjugial love is conjoined with the love of infants by spiritual causes, and by natural causes therefrom. XVI. That the love of infants and children is of one kind with spiritual married Partners, and of another with natural. XVII. That with the spiritual, this love is from within or a priori, but with the natural, from without or a posteriori. XVIII. That thence it is, that this love is with married partners who love each other, and also with married partners who have no love for each other. XIX. That the love of infants remains after death, especially with women. XX. That under the Lord's auspices, infants are educated by them and grow in stature and intelligence as in the world. XXI. That it is there provided by the Lord that the innocence of infancy with infants become the innocence of wisdom, and that thus infants become angels. Now follows the explanation of these articles: